14. Trip back from Frome-06.04.21

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2021 > 14. Trip back from Frome-06.04.21

After delivering my mum's new camper van to her house in Frome, Andy and I enjoyed a trip back to Northampton via a rather unusual route that I specifically selected in an effort to try and avoid passing through London (for COVID reasons). It started off a really cold but bright day but the weather deteriorated with snow during the latter part of the train journey home!

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Images 1-16 of 16 displayed.

166205, GW 13.11 Weymouth-Gloucester (2V68, 1E), Frome station
Under cold and dark skies a Great Western Turbo unit arrives at Frome station working the 13.11 Weymouth to Gloucester service. Andy and I travelled on 166205 as far as Bath Spa enjoying the delights of the Avon Valley from Bradford-on-Avon to Bathampton Junction stopping at Avoncliff and Freshford.
Keywords: 166205 13.11 Weymouth-Gloucester 2V68 Frome station Great Western Railway Turbo

56094, 10.13 Westbury Down TC-Westbury Down TC (via Gloucester & STJ) (1E), Bath Spa station
On arrival at Bath Spa 56094 appeared around the curve to the west of the station with turbo unit 166205 leaving and breathing down our backs and about to spoil the scene! I am not at all sure as to the purpose of this almost completely circuitous working out and back to Westbury via Gloucester and a reversal at Severn Tunnel Junction. I also could not identify the working code for the veteran Class 56 that will celebrate its fortieth birthday this August.
Keywords: 56094 10.13 Westbury Down TC-Westbury Down TC Gloucester Severn Tunnel Junction Bath Spa station Colas Railfreight

800010, GW 15.00 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington (1A25, RT), Bath Spa station
Five-car 800010 'Michael Bond' is ready to leave Bath Spa station working the 15.00 Bristol to Paddington service. Whilst a five-car set is adequate during the COVID pandemic with a huge reduction in passenger numbers when (if?) things ever return to some sense of normality I can't help but feel that these will prove hopelessly inadequate!
Keywords: 800010 15.00 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington 1A25 Bath Spa station Great Western Railway Michael Bond

802104, GW 14.02 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads (1C17, RT), Bath Spa station
In a welcome burst of sunshine that did little to take the chill off the extremely cold north-easterly wind Great Western's 802104 drifts into Bath Spa with the 14.02 Paddington to Bristol express. Due to the truncated GWML electrification programme, this unit will have run with its pantograph raised until a few miles before Chippenham when it would be lowered and the diesel engines would have seamlessly taken over.
Keywords: 802104 14.02 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads 1C17 Bath Spa station Great Western Railway

802106, GW 13.14 Plymouth-London Paddington (1A86, 7L), Bath Spa station
Very few passenger trains pass through Bath Spa station without stopping. The 13.14 Plymouth to Paddington (via Bristol) is one of them and is seen here being worked by 802106.
Keywords: 802106 13.14 Plymouth-London Paddington 1A86 Bath Spa station Great Western Railway

166204, GW 13.23 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central (1F20, 2L), Bath Spa station
The only named Networker Turbo 166204 'Norman Topsom MBE' leaves Bath Spa station working the 13.23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central service. Back in my early spotting years, I spent many hours here at Bath back in the 1970s taking photographs, I stood in a very similar position back in November 1980 and took the following photograph, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/29805505604/class-43-hst-down-working-bath-spa This unit was named in honour of the former Twyford station master Norman Topsom MBE who finally retired from the railway in November 2015.
Keywords: 166204 13.23 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central 1F20 Bath Spa station Great Western Railway Norman Topsom MBE Networker Turbo

158760 & 158745 GW 14.30 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour (1F21, 1L), Bath Spa station
This is something that I have never observed throughout my whole time spotting at Bath since the mid-1970s, a train running into the station 'wrong line'. Due to an up Paddington train hot on its heels, the 14.30 Cardiff to Portsmouth 1F21 is routed on to platform one. 158760 and 158745 slow for the stop at the station with the passengers waiting for the train having been given precious few minutes to change platforms!
Keywords: 158760 158745 14.30 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour 1F21 Bath Spa station First Great Western Railway Express Sprinter

800303, GW 15.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington (1A26, 7L), Didcot Parkway station
Having arrived at Didcot Parkway Andy and I nipped to the rear of our train, the 15.30 Bristol to Paddington 1A26 service, to grab a record shot of it. We had travelled aboard 800303 from Bath as the second leg of our journey home from Frome to Northampton. We were disappointed that there was no refreshment service of any kind on this train despite it being advertised on the tannoy. I suspect that any first-class passengers would have felt somewhat aggrieved!
Keywords: 800303 15.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington 1A26 Didcot Parkway station Great Western Railway Intercity Express Train IET

165122, GW 16.35 Didcot Parkway-Oxford (16.35 Didcot Parkway-Oxford) (2L50, 1L), Didcot Parkway station
As the electrification, that had been started, from Didcot to Oxford has been cancelled GWR now have to operate a somewhat farcical and highly unsatisfactory shuttle service between the two places. GWR utilise a number of cascaded Class 165s to operate these trains with some being all-station stoppers and some going through to Banbury. The third leg of our journey from Frome to Northampton involved making this short jump aboard the 16.35 Didcot to Oxford train worked by 166122 seen here waiting to leave its starting point.
Keywords: 165122 16.35 Didcot Parkway-Oxford 2L50 Didcot Parkway station Great Western Railway

66780, 12.18 Marchwood MoD-Bicester MoD (6V44, 19E), Oxford station
I was delighted to see 66780 'The Cemex Express' pass through Oxford station as it was a photographic cop! It's such as shame that the picture is of such mediocre quality due to the rushed composition and the abysmal lighting! The unique livery carried by the GB Railfreight Class 66 certainly brightens things up a bit! The working is the 6V44 Marchwood to Bicester MoD train that seems to be conveying very little in its consist on this occasion.
Keywords: 66780 12.18 Marchwood MoD-Bicester MoD 6V44 Oxford station The Cemex Express

70802, 17.54 Hinksey Yard-Bescot Yard (6M28, 79E), Oxford station
Colas operate seventeen Class 70s in the 708XX subset of the class. All are liveried in their distinctive yellow and orange paint scheme. In a welcome burst of late afternoon sunshine at Oxford, belying the fact that it was absolutely perishing, 70802 gets the 17.54 Hinksey Yard to Bescot engineering train away through the station. The driver had been giving it some beans as it approached the southern end of the station thinking that he was off and away but the train was then cautioned and halted to the north of the station; what a frustration that must be for a freight driver eager to get home for his tea!
Keywords: 70802 17.54 Hinksey Yard-Bescot Yard 6M28 Oxford station Colas Railfreight

802020, GW 15.18 Hereford-London Paddington (started from Ledbury) (1P05, 1E), Oxford station
Adorned with its unique livery 802020 arrives at Oxford station forming the 15.18 Hereford to Paddington 1P05 GWR service. Something had obviously gone wrong a little earlier in the day as the outward down service was terminated at Ledbury where this return up service also started from. The livery was applied in July 2020 and reads 'Thank You Keyworker' in one hundred and sixteen languages from the one hundred and sixty-six countries represented across the GWR network.
Keywords: 802020 15.18 Hereford-London Paddington Ledbury 1P05 Oxford station Great Western Railway Intercity Express Train

220033 XC 14.57 Bournemouth-Manchester Picadilly (1M62, RT) & 165122, GW 17.36 Oxford-Didcot Parkway (2L59, RT), Oxford station
As 165122 leaves Oxford station with the returning shuttle 2L59 service to Didcot Parkway that we had travelled inbound on a little earlier, CrossCountry Voyager 220033 arrives working the 14.57 Bournemouth to Manchester service. Andy and I took this train as far as Coventry travelling in the rear unit, 220021. In common with all of the trains that we travelled on, it was lightly loaded with plenty of spare seating making it easy to maintain social distancing. In addition, mask-wearing seemed to be pretty much universal amonst all passengers.
Keywords: 220033 14.57 Bournemouth-Manchester Picadilly 1M62 165122 17.36 Oxford-Didcot Parkway 2L59 Oxford station CrossCountry GWR Great Western Railway Voyager 220021

220021 XC 14.57 Bournemouth-Manchester Piccadilly (1M62, RT), Coventry station
On arrival at Coventry station after our journey from Oxford the rear of our train, the 14.57 Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly is seen waiting to depart. Notice the guard waiting to give the RA to the driver wrapped up in her XC issued coat protecting against the unseasonally cold wind. In fact, it had actually been snowing on our journey and on arrival back in Northampton there was an inch of lying snow, so much for springtime!
Keywords: 220021 14.57 Bournemouth-Manchester Piccadilly 1M62 Coventry station CrossCountry Voyager 220033

350370 & 350404, LN 18.14 Birmingham New Street-Northampton (terminated at Rugby) (2T04, 6L), Rugby station
After what had been a perfect journey from Frome with every train being on time things had all of a sudden gone horribly wrong on arrival at Rugby! Our train worked by 350370 and 350404, the 18.14 Birmingham New Street to Northampton 'stopper', was put into Rugby's platform one and promptly terminated. Due to a signalling failure somewhere near Long Buckby, all lines were closed so passengers had to disembark and completed thier journey on a coach travelling via the M1 to junction sixteen. Luckily the traffic flowed well and arrival in Northampton was only some twenty five minutes later than timetabled.
Keywords: 350370 350404 18.14 Birmingham New Street-Northampton Rugby 2T04 Rugby station London NorthWestern Desiro

Tickets, Frome-Northampton
Using split ticketing the journey from Frome to Northampton was divided into four legs travelling on four services operated by three TOCs. Apart from the early termination of our last train at Rugby and the dreaded bustitution all went to plan with lightly loaded trains due to the continuing COVID 19 situation. However, the lack of catering facilities both on and off the trains and the lack of warm waiting facilities were notable. I must also add that the journey on the bus was fairly crowded and for the very first time since the pandemic began over a year ago, I felt decidedly uncomfortable in a public situation.
Keywords: Tickets Frome-Northampton

Images 1-16 of 16 displayed.